My Latest Thoughts

So, here's the latest on my spiritual journey...

by Michael Jeffreys

Transparent Beliefs

(July 29, 2010)

I recently attended an intro workshop to a program called Avatar (nothing to do with the movie). In one of the exercises, the leader, Teal Thompson, had me take a look at my underlying or "transparent" beliefs regarding any area I wanted to look at. I chose money. As soon as we started delving into my beliefs, I immediately saw how it wasn't what I consciously thought about money that was creating my current level of abundance (or more accurately, lack there of), but the underlying feelings that create the belief.

This explains why you can say prosperity affirmations until you are blue in the face, and nothing seems to change! It's because you have not addressed the root of the problem. It's like trying to plant grass on top of weeds. Some grass might get through, but most will die since the nutrients in the soil as well as the space available is already being used up by the weeds. However, once you have gone in and removed all the weeds, then the grass will grow like crazy. In other words, when your transparent beliefs are in alignment with your conscious beliefs, suddenly manifesting happens all by itself, because now the thing that was blocking it from happening, the transparent "negative" belief, is gone!

Another example: While many people believe that they are a good person and love others, their underlying/transparent belief is that they are worthless and that other people are self-centered and not very friendly. Guess which beliefs are actually running the show? :)

I have asked Teal to come speak at our Aug. 2 meetup on the topic of Transparent Beliefs because I feel that becoming aware of them is an important step toward freedom.

-Michael

Nothing that is seen is you, because you are what is seeing
(July 22, 2010)

The mind only knows concepts. You are not a concept. You are that which "sees" or is aware of ALL concepts. In a way, you are like the chalkboard that is always there regardless of what is written upon it. But unlike the chalkboard, what you are has no size, shape, or other "qualities." You are the infinite in which the finite appears in. You are not the seen, but that which sees. You are No-Thing that is aware of Every-Thing. There is nothing you need to do to be this. You are already are it. You cannot NOT be it. Awakening does not mean realizing a new state, but rather, clearly seeing what you have always been!

Why does my mind make Awakening so difficult?
(July 15, 2010)

On the spiritual path, it can seem as if overcoming the mind is our biggest obstacle to experiencing the peace that all the books/teachers talk about. We often feel that if only we could just get our mind to "be quiet," we could actually experience some peace. However, the problem lies not in the mind or its seemly endless chatter, but rather our understanding of it. You see, the mind is the thinking aspect of the body. It is designed to solve problems and its main job is to keep itself (the body) safe at all costs. It knows that when the body dies, it dies!

Thus, if you identify with your body-mind, you are going to suffer. There is simply no way around this since the mind sees threats everywhere. And since it does not discern between real and imaginary fears--simply because it cannot afford to be wrong-- it is suspicious of just about everything. Seen from the mind's perspective, being worried actually makes sense! After all, do you want your guard at the front gate to be lazy and disinterested, or do you want him to be hyper-vigilant, cautious, and let nothing go by unchecked? Clearly the latter makes more sense when we are talking about protecting something of value.

However, the reality is that YOU are not your mind (and never have been!), and thus you are not the sounds (thoughts) it produces. I mean, you drive your car and listen to the radio/cd player which makes sounds, but you never mistake it or what comes out of the speakers as being you. Why? Because you are CLEAR that you are not your radio/cd player. You HAVE a radio/cd player, but you know that it is not you. You are quite clear about this and so that's the end of it.

Well, spiritual awakening works the same way. You simply must be CLEAR on what you are. However, the thing that makes things confusing is that unlike the radio/cd player, which is an actual object, what you are is not an object and thus it cannot be tasted, touched, heard, smelled or seen. Therefore, the mind simply CANNOT know you because there is nothing about YOU which it CAN know. So, how does one "know" the "unknowable"? By having a direct experience of it. By getting clear on what you are, and what you are not.

-Michael

Thoughts, Humor & Papaji
(June 18, 2010)

"When anybody laughs, he has no mind, no thought, no problem, no suffering." -Papaji

We are unable to fully feel/experience the love and spaciousness that we are in this moment when we are believing a thought. And yet, a thought has exactly as much power as YOU give it.

As Gary Renard said in the movie LEAP!, "The world is not being done to you, it is being done BY you." This will become more and more apparent as your "old self," with its history, stories and beliefs begins to drop away. It's not that you try to get rid of them; it's just seen that they no longer serve you.

One sure sign that we are still "caught up in our story" is when our sense of humor is NWTBF! (No Where To Be Found!). Lack of humor indicates that one is still taking the dream seriously. That is why I love this quote by Papaji:

"When anybody laughs, he has no mind, no thought, no problem, no suffering."

And I can just hear Papaji's hearty and infectious laughter at the above dinosaur/Noah's Ark joke: "Oh Crap! Was that today?" lol

Accepting the Unacceptable
(June 8, 2010)

"Can you be the space for your thoughts?" -Eckhart Tolle

Can you just lovingly, silently and peacefully allow your thoughts and bodily sensations to freely come and go? Even saying "your thoughts" is not quite right, as they are not "yours," but simply arising within your awareness from your past conditioning. And even if you find yourself attached to a particular thought or sensation that you can't seem to shake, can you then accept the fact that you are currently identifying with it?

For example, if you are feeling anxious about something right now, can you say to yourself, "I accept that right now I am fully caught up and identifying with this particular thought/feeling." Important: notice that you are not judging whether this experience is good or bad, positive or negative, or even trying to get rid of it. You are simply acknowledging that this is simply what currently IS.

And if, for whatever reason, you are not able to do this, can you accept the fact that you cannot accept the fact that you are currently identifying with a thought!?
The amazing part is, as soon as you begin to truly accept the acceptable, guess what happens!? You got it... it begins to dissipate all by itself! (Don't take my word for it, try it yourself and watch what happens! Again, the key is that you are NOT trying to make the thought go away or trying to change it in anyway. You are simply fully accepting that right now you are too upset to accept the thought!!)

-Michael

You say you want love, but what are you NOT loving?

(May 18, 2010)

"Whatever arises... love that." -Matt Kahn

It hit me very clearly today as I was feeling very tired from my CFS and the thought arose, "I hate feeling this way!" And then the light bulb went on in my head and a voice said, "Well Michael, how do you expect to feel love if you are creating "hate" toward something?" "OMG," I thought, "of course!" A portion of what precious energy I still had was not just being wasted, but was actually being used to create the exact opposite of what I wanted to experience... HELLO!?? :)

So, I immediately created a much more empowering affirmation: "I am so grateful for the beautiful energy I have that allows me to do so much!" Ahhhhhh, much better! I could feel my body relax, as if to say, "Thank you!" Now, in the past my mind would say something like, "Well, that isn't how you really feel... you are just fooling yourself." And then I thought, "Why do we automatically believe the negative, and yet have a hard time believing the positive?" I mean aren't, "I hate feeling this way!" and "I am so grateful for the beautiful energy I have that allows me to do so much!" BOTH beliefs? Yes, but... The HUGE difference is that one stems from resentment and the other, gratitude. And since love and gratitude go hand-in-hand, the latter affirmation clearly takes me where I want to go, while the former simply creates more suffering. As the saying goes, "It's a no-brainer."

So, watch your thoughts. Observe them. See if you can detect the energy that the thoughts are arising from. And really, there are only two energies that can arise: Love or Fear. Everything else is a variation on those two. (It also helps to remember that whatever feeling/thought arises, it will eventually change--that is just the nature of the beast. And since it changes, it CANNOT be you. YOU are what is AWARE of the thought. That is why our true nature is often called AWARENESS.)

For a powerful example of how you can turn your life around by turning limiting, constricting beliefs into unlimited, "anything is possible" beliefs, as well as the difference one person can make, check out this truly awesome video (And if you think that your life sucks or that you are not worthy, then you really need to watch this!):

Look at yourself after watching this video

-Michael

L

You are the very mirror Life "Sees" Itself with

(March 29, 2010)

All your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, & bodily sensations are all appearing in what you are. You are like a mirror--whatever is in front of it is reflected onto itself, but does not touch it. This is why the mind's judgments are only meaningful to... the mind!! Does a mirror "judge" what is in front of it? Or does it allow whatever it is to always be fully itself, without trying to change anything? Just this, right here, right now. As it is. Just breath. Here. Now. You are this very moment, as it is. Can you see this?

-Michael

Do you know 100% that you are NOT your thoughts?

(February 26, 2010)

One of the mistakes I see on the spiritual path is that many think that the mind is the source of their problems. That if they could only make their thoughts go away, they would have peace at long last. The truth is, as Eckhart says, the mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. It's not your mind that's the problem, but rather, believing that you are your thoughts that is causing the problems.

Thoughts come and go, so they can't be you. Let me repeat this: Thoughts come and go, so they can't be you. Take a moment and let this sink in. And if there is any part of you that doubts this, check it out for yourself. Challenge it. Don't believe! Try to prove it wrong! But the worse thing you can do is to agree with it, but not LIVE IT. In other words, you intellectually agree that you are not your thoughts, but you still react to them and take them personally. This is called suffering.

Awakening is seeing clearly that you are not your thoughts AND no longer believing them to be you. In other words, you view thoughts like you would a billboard on the side of the road; merely for informational/entertainment purposes. And 95% of the time, the info will have nothing to do with you. That's right. I am saying only about 5% of your thoughts are actually useful.

So, how can you learn to let go of the 95% of your thoughts that are merely background static? Well, actually by seeing that you aren't ANY of your thoughts. Thoughts arise in you, so again, they cannot be you. This is such a critical point that until you fully see this, nothing else you do will matter.

That is why many of the great spiritual teachers reccomend simply observing your thoughts. Watch them come and go. Just like you watch a movie. When you are watching a movie, no matter how real it may feel, you always know that it is not you. Well, this is where you want to get with your thoughts. Even if your thoughts FEEL like you, that is just another thought. Let go of it all and see what is left... the changeless, stateless, eternal, silent "no-thingness" that has always been. Rest in this.

- Michael

Enlightenment is the falling away of a "Separate Self"

(January 29, 2010)

The present moment is never enough for the “little me” we believe ourselves to be, for the simple reason that the “little me” is always looking for something outside itself, something it can “get.” The truth is that as long as there is this “separate me” operating, there can never be enlightenment. Why? Because enlightenment is the seeing that the “little me” I take myself to be doesn’t exist, and never did!

There is simply whatever is currently arising in the moment. So, there is Seeing, but no Seer. There is Hearing, but no Hearer. Everything comes and goes freely for no one! In other words, you do not experience the present moment, you ARE the present moment!

-Michael

Happy New Year and I don't "know" anything!

(December 30, 2009)

One of my Christmas gifts to myself was Byron Katie's wonderful book, A Thousand Names for Joy. It's her take on one of Eckhart Tolle's (and Dr. Wayne Dyer's) favorite books, The Tao Te Ching. Her husband, Stephen Mitchell, who translated this sacred text into English, got the great idea to read her passages from it (she had never read it), and then write down her spontaneous interpretation/responses. The result is this book:

For those that don't know, Katie suffered from deep depression and anxiety for 10 years before she "woke up to reality" one morning in 1986. Here is how she concludes the book’s INTRODUCTION:

"I'm open to all that the mind brings, all that life brings. I have questioned my thinking, and I've discovered that it doesn't mean a thing. I shine internally with the joy of understanding. I know about suffering, and I know about joy, and I know who I am. Who I am is who you are, even before you have realized it. When there's no story, no past or future, nothing to worry about, nothing to do, nowhere to go, no one to be, it's all good."

I must tell you that this open, joyous, freeing paragraph touched me to my core. In fact, while I was reading it, I was suddenly struck with a very strong "knowing." A knowing, strangely enough, that I didn't know anything! That is, there was a part of me that suddenly realized that my mind slaps labels on everything. EVERYTHING. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G!! And it thinks that once it has labeled something, that it "knows" what that something is. But it doesn't. Not even close. A label from a jar of peanut butter is NOT the same thing as the actual peanut butter or the jar. In fact, ANY words my mind uses to describe something doesn't come close to the actual thing itself.

So what's the problem? The problem is that when I think I know something, but I really don't, I am living from and making all my decisions based on a lie! And when you realize that just about everyone else on the planet is doing the same thing, i.e., acting as if what they believe is real, the truth, and "the way it is," suddenly all the fighting, conflict, and wars going on all around the world don't seem like such a surprise. As within, so without.

The reality is, how can I really "know" anything? Heck, I don't even know WHO or WHAT I am!!??? If I don't know who or what I am, how can I possibly know who or what anyone or anything else is? And yet, I go on living each day AS IF I do know. We all do. We pretend to know what's going on. But the problem is when I think I know what "should" happen, when it doesn't, which is most of the time, I suffer! And then I use that suffering to support a new belief or reinforce an old one: "See, he said he was going to call and didn't. I knew he was a flake!"

At some point (usually after a lot of suffering), we get the idea that since our beliefs are causing us so much pain, all we have to do is change our beliefs, to "upgrade" them, to get "new, more accurate, better" ones. But, to use a well known metaphor, this is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. No matter how nicely you arrange them, you are still going down! The reality is NO belief is 100% accurate, even the belief that you shouldn't have beliefs. (Because that would just be another belief!)

Try this: try experiencing something without using any labels. None. Just look at it, without labeling it or "knowing" anything about it.

You may be shocked. Without labels you have no idea what you are looking at!! You look at something, and if you are really 100% honest with yourself, you think “I have no idea what that is!” Because you don’t. It just IS whatever it IS. Yes, you can name some of its qualities, but again, that would just be like listing the ingredients on the peanut butter jar.

See if you can find that place inside you (and it is there or you wouldn't be here), that knows that it IS, but that is ALL it knows. It makes no assumptions, asks no questions, gives no answers, and knows nothing. It just IS. Rest in this ISness. Rest in YOURSELF. Pure, natural, curious, loving and innocent... like a wide eyed baby exploring its world for the first time:

Love from Yourself,

Michael

L

My Thoughts on seeing Eckhart Tolle
Live for the 4th Time

(December 18, 2009)

"Past and future have no existence except as thought forms in your mind, and when you become conscious of the present moment, all the old structures of your mind cease to operate. The mind is no longer your master, but your servant." -Eckhart Tolle

While I knew Eckhart was coming to Hollywood, CA for four days in mid-December 2009 to record content for his recently launched Eckharttolletv.com website (which up to now has been a bit modest in the number of video clips it offers, but that appears to be changing), I also knew the cost of something like 350.00 for a two day pass and 950.00 for all four days made it impossible for me to attend.

Well, shows you what I know! Santa Monica Eckhart Tolle Meetup member Ron Ossip sent me an email asking me if I would like to come as his guest to see Eckhart on his final day of taping, December 16, 2009. Hmmmmmm.... that's a tough one.... :)

At around 12:30pm I found street parking next to Ben Kitay studios in Hollywood. I called Ron on his cell (who was already inside saving us two seats) and he came out, greeted me, and then handed me a precious ticket to the event. I followed Ron inside, filled out a release, and then we walked inside the studio where about 150 plastic folding chairs where set up:

Some of the audience chatting quietly before the event

Ron had saved us two seats in the 4th row. When I sat down, I got even more excited because I had a beautiful, clear line-of-sight directly to Eckhart's chair on stage (see photo below). At least I thought I did! What happened? A few minutes later, Kim Eng, Eckhart's girlfriend sat down in the empty chair in the front row and blocked my perfect view!:

My line of sight before Kim Eng sat down!

The nerve! Naw, actually it wasn't a problem at all. I simply scooted my chair over to the right approx. six inches and once again life was good!

Looking around the room, I spotted some friends that I had seen at other spiritual events and excitedly waved to them as if to say, "Yes, we're here... can you believe it!?" Then, I noticed 3 large cameras pointing at the small carpeted stage in front of us, which contained Eckhart's black chair and table. Upon the table were red and yellow flowers in a water-filled glass vase, a yellow folder containing questions people had submitted for Eckhart to answer, a glass of water, meditation chimes, and a small gold clock:

Eckhart's "office"

Despite the clock, I heard Eckhart went over each day. And indeed, on the day we were there the program was scheduled to end at 4:30pm, but that didn't stop Eckhart from speaking until 5:15pm! (Needless to say, we would have stayed as long as he felt like talking!) Apparently, Eckhart operates on "Eckhart Time." For example, I remember him giving a talk where he mentioned that when a magazine tells him they need an article within 3 days, he said that sometimes they get it and sometimes they don't!

At a few minutes after 1:00pm, Tami Simon, the founder of Sounds True, the company that records and markets many of Eckhart's cds and dvds, came on stage to introduce Eckhart:

Tami Simon introducing Eckhart

After she was finished, we sat in silence for a minute or two. Then, from the back of the room, Eckhart appeared and slowly made his way to the stage. He was wearing an aqua sweater, blue dress shirt underneath, and tan pants and shoes.

At this point I want to mention that some people I've talked to in the past who have seen Eckhart in person are bothered by the fact that his shoulders are somewhat hunched and thus his posture is not the best. First, being a "vertically posture challenged" person myself, I feel for Eckhart. Sometimes our bodies don't do what we would like them to do. They simply are as they are. Can you accept this? If you can't, I can promise one thing: suffering.

Why? Because it's these types of judgments about others (or yourself) that keep you stuck in the world of your mind. Form is as it is. Whether it's "right" or "wrong" is merely your own personal interpretation, and has nothing to do with reality. It's not like you thinking Eckhart should have better posture is going to change anything. It just means YOU are going to be unhappy every time you think that thought! I see Eckhart as wonderful gift to the planet just as he is.

If you are having trouble accepting others as they are, it means that you are not accepting yourself, just as you are! When you can accept yourself, just as you are, you will naturally come to accept others just as they are. Remember, the world is simply your mirror.

Moving on, I should mention that getting pictures of Eckhart at this event was not easy. Because his presence is so strong, everyone around him automatically becomes extremely quiet. It just happens naturally. You are in the presence of an awakened being, and so you try to take in as much as possible. Thus, the studio was incredibly quiet and still, and no one wanted to break that stillness. So, I waited until the end of the day, and after turning off my flash, I managed to grab these two quick photos of Eckhart from my second row seat (Ron and I had moved even closer after the break!):

From the 2nd row, Eckhart was only about 10 feet away!

Eckhart reading and answering questions submitted to him

After a short meditation, he spoke for approx. 2 hours, then we took a break. You can see some of the audience, the center camera, and Kim's purple "health drink" (it looked to have beets in it) underneath her chair in this photo that I snapped at the break (the yellow paper on the chairs said, "Reserved"):

At the break: half the audience, the center camera, and Kim's drink on the floor!

After the break, Eckhart came back for another hour and 30 mins. and answered questions that people had submitted to him on his website. When he was finished, he got quiet for a minute or two and just stared straight ahead. Then, after ringing the meditation chimes several times, he stood up, clasped his hands in "Namaste prayer pose," and bowed his head (which we in the audience did, in unison, back to him). Then he looked up, smiled at us warmly, nodded his head as if to indicate that he too had had good time, and then left the stage and headed up the aisle to the back of the studio and then disappeared from sight. A few seconds later, Kim gathered her belongings and then joined him. Finally, Tami Simon came up and thanked us for coming and said this new footage of Eckhart would be up on the EckhartTV website in the summer of 2010 (June or July).

And here's a photo of Ron and I taken right after the event had just ended:

Ron Ossip and Michael Jeffreys

Concluding Thoughts

Although I had seen Eckhart at Agape Church in 2003, UCLA's Royce Hall in 2007, and The San Diego Convention Center in 2008, this was by far my favorite time. Obviously sitting up close makes a big difference. But even more important than this, was that my level of consciousness is much clearer these days. And so, the only time I really had any thoughts going on that I could feel were "taking me out of the moment" was when I was trying to figure out how to take a picture of Eckhart without disturbing anyone. However, I quickly saw that I was missing what Eckhart was saying, and so I decided that there would be a better opportunity near the end, and that even if I couldn't get a picture, that was alright too.

Since I didn't take any notes (I find that you miss too much if you try to take notes. Besides, it's not about the specific words anyway, but what they are pointing to), I can't tell you a lot of specifics about what he shared (obviously you will be able to see when the video is edited and uploaded next summer). However, one analogy that he used which I liked very much was the following: he held up his right hand, palm toward the audience, fingers close together and said that his fingers represented thoughts. And as we could see there was no space between his fingers, which means no space in the head. All you perceive are thoughts. But as you awaken, some space begins to surround your thoughts (and here he spread his fingers apart a bit) until eventually there can be more space than thoughts (and then he spread his fingers very wide and sure enough the space between his fingers (thoughts) was "more" than the fingers themselves! This simple visual was quite impactful and made an impression on me.

And, of course, there was Eckhart's wonderful sense of humor which kept us all laughing at different points throughout the afternoon. Since this writeup is already quite long, I will wrap it here, although I will be happy to share more about my recent "day with Eckhart" at our next Santa Monica Eckhart Tolle meetup, which is January 7, 2010.

-Michael

Arguing with Reality

(December 6, 2009)

Apparently some lessons take a little longer to sink in. For me it was learning to accept what is. Like most people, my brain simply had its own ideas about what it wanted, what it believed would make it happy. And if it didn't get those things, which was the case most of the time, depression set-in and intense suffering resulted. Not a fun way to live.

However, recently I've come to see the problem. I didn't fully understand that whatever is, IS! Meaning, how it is, is how it is. Meaning, how I want it to be is completely and 100% irrelevant! Well now, isn't that a shot to the old ego.

This is the problem. We don't let things be exactly what they are and as they are. Our mind spits out these judgmental comments every 5 seconds and it has no idea what it's talking about.

Now I see the futility of wanting any aspect of reality, of "what is," to be different from how it already IS. In order for something to BE, it must already exist. And if it already IS, than wanting it to somehow be different than what it is, is not only ridiculous, it's impossible!

And, this also applies to your thoughts. Once they appear inside your head, wishing them not to be there or to be different in some way is not possible. Why? Because it would be going against reality!

And as that force of nature that is Byron Katie said, "When you argue with Reality you lose only 100% of the time!"

-Michael

That Which Never Changes

(November 9, 2009)

Many spiritual teachers have said that the real sign that you have found your true self is that the restless seeking suddenly goes away. This was found to be the case in this being's experience. The search is over. The mind made "me" has seen the real me and so the mind made "me" is discarded for the real thing.

If you don't know who you are, than the mind made you seems to be you. But it is simply the mind believing you are the ever changing fireworks, rather than knowing that you are the changeless space the fireworks appear in. It is all about clear recognition of that which never changes. That is what you are. Stay with this. Put your attention on that. Everything else comes and goes. Rest in what you are, the changeless "ISness" of right now.

You may find, as I did, the following 44 minute audio interview with John Wheeler by Charlie Hayes to be extremely helpful. Based on the emails and posts Charlie gets from his Non-Duality Blog, he has a good grasp of where well intentioned seekers get stuck. What's more, Charlie knows because he's been there! And so, he is able to ask John very specific questions... and John's Sage like answers do not disappoint.

Specifically, John talks about getting back to the most basic premise of all: WHO am I? That without having a clear understanding of WHO/WHAT you are, all other understandings really cannot be fully understood. In other words, priority number one should be becoming 100% clear on exactly what you are. That is, if there is any vagueness or uncertainty regarding your true nature, confusion is bound to come in.

That's the main difference between the seeker and Sage: the Sage is certain about his nature while the seeker is not. Where does this feeling of certainty come from? And more importantly, (to the "I" that the mind thinks it is), how can "I" experience this feeling of certainty about who/what I AM? Says John:

"You turn to something in your experience that you discover by nature is utterly beyond doubt, utterly clear, utterly certain... and that's where the certainty comes from. It doesn't come from something you do, or from an experience or an awakening. We want to lock in and really notice, something, by its nature is clear, and solid, and certain. The one thing that anybody can turn to and notice immediately--that undeniable core sense of their very presence itself." -John Wheeler

It's funny, but I tried for the last year to explain to my sister what non-duality is pointing to, but was not successful. After hearing this interview, I spoke to her today, and simply said, "Jill, you are simply that which is here now, in this moment. That which doesn't change regardless of what you are thinking or talking about. That thing that is always here, always aware... just rest your attention on this, as it is what you are." And she replied, "Oh, well that makes sense. I couldnt' follow all that spiritual talk in the past, but what you just said I understand." Doh! :)

Here's a link to the interview: John Wheeler Interview "Know Who You Are"

John's website: The Natural State

Charlie's Blog: Being is Knowing

Enjoy!

-Michael

Be an Empty Tea Cup
(October 11, 2009)

Lately, my "mantra" has been: "I know nothing and anything is possible." Why? Because ANY thought you have about ANYTHING adds a layer of belief over your current moment experience. For example, the analogy I used during my recent interview on Living with Tolle (which you can find on this site) was that if you are a democrat and you think all republicans are evil, than that "belief" will taint every other experience you have, often unconsciously.

Since I am interested in perceiving the present moment as unbiased and as pure as possible, I want as little of my "past conditioning" as possible to get in the way. Thus, "I know nothing." Coming from this mindset opens up the possibility that virtually ANYTHING is possible. Why? Because you have not limited yourself by seeing only that which you already believe to be the case!

Btw, for those that might not know, the empty tea cup analogy comes from the Zen story about the young student who comes to the master and tries to tell him everything he already knows about Zen. The master says nothing, but begins pouring tea into the students cup, but does not stop and the tea begins overflowing onto the saucer and then onto the table. Finally, the student blurts out, "But master, no more tea will fit in the cup!" And the master says to the student, "Yes, and I cannot teach you anything as long as you come to me already full."

-Michael

Nothing Outside You Can Complete You
(September 16, 2009)

All I have ever wanted once the search to find my true self began was to know who I really was. Once I realized that who I am can never be found outside of me, the search was over. I still don't know what I am, but I know that I can't find it outside of me. Whatever the current moment brings cannot be me. Whatever the next moment brings cannot be me. Nothing that ever comes will be me. There is no ME here, or anywhere "knowable."

Since there is no "you," there is nothing to complete. But the belief in a "phantom you" will lead to a searching for relief from the pain that this "you" feels. The belief creates the illusion. It's a concept. You only exist as a concept; until you let go of even that. Then you realize that you are Nothing. No-thing. You are no where to be found, yet somehow everywhere. How awesome is that!?

-Michael And

Seeing Through the Illusion
(September 12, 2009)

On September 11, 2009, for approx. 18 hours I had no experience of a "Michael." "Michael" was clearly seen to be an overlay I had been adding to reality, my whole life, out of habit. But upon close inspection, reality was happening all by itself and no "Michael" was even needed. In fact, it was seen that the inserting of this "Michael" creation tended to gum things up. They suddenly get more solid and sticky. With the "Michael" came the "problems." Here is what I wrote during the 18 hour experience:

Seeing through the illusion that you are "someone," and that this "someone" (insert your name here) has these problems that need to be sorted out before peace and happiness can be experienced is all awakening means. Why must there be a "you" that lives a "life"? There isn't one, so why pretend otherwise? Why drag around a make believe story and insert it into everything you think and do? Isn't it simpler just to live life sans the story? You can do everything you are already doing, but there is no "you" to get stuck to anything! The result? FREEDOM!

-Michael

Physical Pain and Accepting What Is
(August 21, 2009)

All of us have heard Eckhart talk about "Accepting What Is" as being critical to enlightenment. Simply put, resistance to what is causes suffering.

For some reason, I thought physical pain was somehow an exception to this universal law! Because of my chronic fatigue, thoughts such as, "I wish I didn't feel so crappy" or "I wish I wasn't so tired" were constantly rolling around in my little head.

And then, it hit me. WHO says!? The creator of all that is has created "this world as it is" and yet somehow this "little me" I believed myself to be (at that moment) thinks it knows better!? Ha! It would be like a beginner telling a chess grandmaster who just won a game what he did wrong and how he should have played better or different moves! Ridiculous! I mean, can you imagine the nerve!?

And so now it is clear to me how presumptious it was for the "little me" to want/expect/need for life to be any other way than it is. Things "are as the are" and it's the resistance that causes the suffering. And yes, even my resistance to this was perfect too.

And so now I see that, yep, even the bodily pains are as they are. Who knows, maybe they are there for a reason, such as helping fight off something else, and are actually helping me or trying to get me to look at them more deeply. But to judge them as somehow wrong or "I shouldn't be feeling this way" assumes that I know more than God about how this place works... talk about an EGO!! The arrogance makes me shudder!

Things are as they are. No exceptions. Beautiful. Even all the past resistance was perfect.

Perhaps right now YOU are going through challenges, turmoil, fear. Perhaps your are currently concerned about not having enough money, love, friends, health, etc. Whatever it may be, can you acknowledge that that is what currently is?

I am not saying you have to like it (that would just be the little mind's opinion anyway, which is subject to change moment-to-moment), but can you accept it as being what is? And if you can't, can you accept that for whatever reason, where you are currently at (and remember, this too can change at any moment without notice!) that you are NOT able to accept what is?

As strange as it may sound, even acknowledging that you CAN'T accept something right now (a person, situation, or event), if you fully step into and embrace the non-acceptance, you may find that the suffering lessons. The secret is to go fully into the non-acceptance. The problem is most of the time we half-heartedly don't like things!

I mean, if you can't accept something, than really don't accept it! Put your foot down full force and say, "NO! I CANNOT ACCEPT THIS RIGHT NOW!" Be clear!! Let it out! Let the Universe know how you REALLY feel. No more tap-dancing around it. If you are currently "stuck," why not try this? And then just sit in the stillness at the conclusion of your "rant" and see what happens.... what do you have to lose? :)

Remember, Infinite Love IS our True Nature, though we sometimes forget!

-Michael

The "I" you think you are never existed
(August 3, 2009)

So, it turns out that this whole seeking game is to clearly see one thing: that there is no "I" inside of you. And it's not even like you need to get rid of the "I." This is because there never was one in the first place. How can you get rid of what never existed?

Thoughts come and go, but they have nothing to do with you. The content can be anything. But they still aren't you. So, there is actually no one here to see or know or do anything.

Your True Nature
(July 3, 2009)

Happy July 4th Weekend to you!

While “oohing” and “aahing” at fireworks in the sky can be a real blast (ha-ha!), it's feeling them in your heart that truly matters.

When we feel separate and disconnected from life, it’s because we have forgotten who we are. We have temporarily forgotten that we are NOT our thoughts, feelings, or emotions but rather, we are the SPACE in which these things arise. In fact, we are the timeless, boundless space that everything we experience appears in.

The fact that we are nothing (no-thing) is what allows us to experience everything! Remember, anything you are aware of cannot be you. So, although you might think of yourself as this person, this “me” with its so called “problems,” the truth is this “you” that you think you are is NOT you!
How could it be, since you are aware of it? Again, remember, anything you are aware of cannot be you. This is because that would set up a subject-object relationship. Duality. Two. ME, and everything else that isn’t me.

This is the illusion. This is what creates the feeling of separation, of not being enough. The truth is there is only ONE. And you are NOT separate from this ONEness, even if at times it may feel that way. Remember, a feeling doesn’t change or alter truth. Of course, if you cling to this feeling it can certainly feel pretty convincing… but that doesn’t make it any more real.

Of course, the idea that you aren’t anything, that you have no size, shape or form, is impossible for your mind to comprehend. That’s because your mind can only know form; things that exist within space and time. And since you are infinite, timeless and omnipresent, the mind literally can’t know the true you. So, it mistakenly assumes that IT is YOU!!!

I am currently reading Everyday Enlightenment (seven stories of awakening) by Sally Bongers, and in one chapter a gentleman describes how he explained awakening to some friends:

"The way I described it to some of my friends was that I was this dot in the space and then after the shift I was the space that contained the dot."

Nothing containing everything... that is your true nature. -Michael

You are Pure Consciousness

(June 2, 2009)

Every once in a while a book comes along that speaks the truth so loudly and so powerfully that your entire experience of life is profoundly changed. Consciousness is All by Peter Francis Dziuban has been that book for me.

For those of us playing the "seeking game," this book brings it all to a crashing halt. How? By pointing out a truth that is so obvious once seen, yet somehow escapes the attention of fully 99.9% of the people on the planet. And that truth is: YOU are Pure Consciousness.

To fully grasp the significance of this is mind-blowing, literally. You are pure awareness, that which is aware of all that you are conscious of. Thus, anything that you are conscious of cannot be you! So, your thoughts, feelings, experiences, images, moods, beliefs, your possessions, what you do, etc... none of it is who you are! You are the awareness which never changes and yet is undeniably here, present, right now.... or you could not be reading these words.

Each page of my copy of Consciousness is All is covered in highlight marks and notes in the margins. Here are just a few gems:

"Everything experienced by the human mind is always moving on, passing away, and not being present."

"Awareness must be who you really are, because nothing else is you."

"Pure Consciousness is the only You, and It never is confused with the things It appears to be conscious of."

"All any sensation can do is be the sensation it is. The five forms of sensation, whether taken individually or as a group, never are themselves conscious or intelligent. They're never You."

"Looking closely, you see it's always the stuff you seem to be aware of that's changing and passing, never Awareness Itself. Awareness, all by Itself alone, is present as pure Being, a changeless presence which simply, immovably is."

For those of you who are, (and like I was), tired of "chasing your tail," go to Amazon, get yourself a copy of this masterpiece and start reading it. Then stand back as everything around you crumbles to dust, except that which you truly are, pure Consciousness... and see how your life is, as the book's subtitle says, completely new! -Michael

When You Don't Fully Trust Life, You Suffer
(April 29, 2009)

An active mind is a sign that you are not fully trusting life. And since you ARE life, this means that you are not fully trusting yourself. Most people never stop to consider that they never consciously made the very first decision of their entire life… to come into this world! That’s right. All you know is that you are here. Life, YOU, put you here. But your appearance here had nothing to do with your brain, did it? In fact, your brain wasn’t even formed yet when you entered this world! Since that’s the case, then there must be something else, other than your brain, driving the train. And that is the isness that you are before your mind or your body even came into being. Pure isness. No form. -Michael

YOU must do the work yourself
(April 10, 2009)

One of the things that has helped me the most in awakening is taking it very seriously. In fact, everything else in my life is a distant second. It's only when you have this level of commitment that you will be willing to look at all aspects of your life and see where you still get "caught up." What angers you? Annoys you? Makes you feel depressed? Makes you feel jealous? Who in your life still pushes your buttons?

These so called "negative feelings" are actually huge gifts. Why? Because they are letting you know those parts of you that are still in reactivity instead of acceptance. Whenever you are suffering I can promise you one thing: you are resisting what is.

Also, learning to let go of judgment and simply accepting other people just as they are is another huge lesson along the path. And no one can tell you exactly how to do this. YOU must do the work yourself. You must see what things "get you" and then see which parts of yourself are not trusting life. When you do this, "Let go and let God" go from just being words, to a way of life. You no longer get in your own way, but happily put your trust in life and then sit back and enjoy the ride as it unfolds, moment to moment, with a sense of awe, humility and gratefulness. But again, you won't know if what I'm saying is true or not until YOU do the work yourself. -Michael

You are not a Noun, but a Verb
(February 2009)

You are not a noun, but a verb. You are not a thing (you are nothing, no-thing!), but an experiencing energy. You are whatever is happening in your current moment, however there is no one who it is happening too. Life is happening to no one. Life is just happening. In this moment, I am writing this and you are reading it. That is all. That is what is happening here and now. Anything else that your mind wants to add to this is an illusion, i.e., that there is a "you" who is reading this and a "Michael" who is writing it.

Oneness is just sharing with oneness through a variety of forms. Numerous forms filled with and created from one essence. -Michael

You are Not the Life Commentator in your Head

(January 2009)

I notice that there is this "thing" inside of me that is energy. And this energy observes life through my eyes and other four senses. Recently, it hit me that everything that I experience in the world actually happens inside my head, through thoughts. So, nothing outside me actually controls my moment to moment experience. Rather, what I think about the incoming information determines my present moment experience.

It's like this guest is inside my head and he has a microphone and he loves to yap. That's his thing. He's a life commentator. I used to think that I was him and that life events "happened" to me. I really did! But these days it is more accurate to say that I am simply the space for that guy to do his thing. Infinite space. Pure awareness. Because of this new outlook on life, it's very hard to take things "personally" anymore because there is literally no person here!

So now, I like to focus on this pure awareness. I find it by looking for the one thing inside me that never changes. Thoughts are constantly changing moment to moment. My feelings swing all over the place, sometimes from one minute to the next. Achievements and failures come and go. My opinions are always changing as my knowledge grows. The only thing that is constant is this space that allows for all these other things to occur in. So, right now, I will just be that loving, unconditional space of acceptance, gratitude, and wonder. -Michael

Michael Jeffreys

Everything is an expression of ONEness